A practical, hands-on training programme designed specifically for manufacturers who want better visibility, stronger pipelines, and marketing that actually delivers ROI.
This new, fully-funded training, exclusive to the Made Smarter West Midlands programme, has been developed to solve digital marketing capability gaps within manufacturing SMEs. Delivered in a small cohort setting, by marketing specialists from C&W Business Solutions Ltd. and Coventry University the interactive sessions will help demystify digital marketing, paid media, search engine optimisation, CRM and AI, showing you how to use them confidently and effectively for your manufacturing business.
Manufacturing SMEs – hands-on business owners, directors or senior managers, or sales, marketing and commercial leaders wearing “multiple hats”.
Businesses looking to diversify, strengthen resilience, or reach new markets.
You don’t need a marketing background. You do need ambition, curiosity, and a willingness to modernise.
By the end of the programme, you will:
Initial 1:1 Discovery Call (20 minutes)
Before the programme begins, you’ll have a focused one-to-one session with one of the programme’s digital marketing specialists to understand your business, customers and commercial goals and review your pre-course worksheet to align the programme to your specific challenges and opportunities.
Foundations: Strategy Before Tactics: This session sets the commercial and strategic groundwork. Participants will explore:
Tools, Tactics & Technology: In this online session we will translate strategy into action and cover topics including
Risks, Responsibility & Results: This online session will focus on:
Implementation & Action: In this final face to face session we’ll explore where insight turns into execution. The session will be concluded with a networking lunch, to help delegates cement connections and explore follow-on support. In this session participants will:
On conclusion of the course you will have a plan you can actually implement within the business, and access to follow-up support.
Helen is Head of Marketing for C&W Business Solutions and Director of JAB Communications – a full-service digital marketing agency. She is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has been leading the marketing for Made Smarter West Midlands since 2021, getting to know manufacturing businesses, the challenges they face, and working on programmes which help to mitigate some of these challenges, such as the West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme. Helen offers her time freely to mentoring programmes, such as the national Digital Boost scheme, and also delivers support around harnessing AI and responsible AI adoption for SMEs.
Ian O’Donnell is a speaker, consultant, business owner and non-executive director who’s excited by and loves sharing ways creative ideation and new technology can help businesses succeed. With a technology and marketing background and over 30 years of experience starting and growing businesses, he brings a practical “been there, done that” approach aligned with academic integrity.
Through his work with Made Smarter West Midlands, he works with SME manufacturers to help with skills, leadership and organisational capacity to facilitate their digital transformation journey.
Alongside that Ian is the founder and director of a digital marketing agency and a non-executive director of several SMEs, including FSB, the Federation of Small Businesses, where he also serves as Deputy Chair of UK Policy and leads on Sustainability and Net Zero, regularly meeting with leading decision makers to develop policy solutions to create a better environment for SMEs to thrive as well as a regular on regional and national media as a spokesperson for small businesses. A Teaching Fellow at Coventry University since 2016, he lectures in entrepreneurship, innovation and marketing.
Ian received an MBE in 2017 in recognition of his services to the economy and community.
The course is valued at over £1500, however the training is fully-funded for Made Smarter participants. Businesses who have yet to take part in the Made Smarter programme should register first at www.madesmarter.uk.
Previous Made Smarter participants can register their interest in taking part by emailing madesmarter@cwgrowthhub.co.uk.
Space is very limited and the estimated course value is over £1500, so we anticipate de
Ready to Strengthen Your Marketing Capability? Get in touch to express interest today.
Part of the Government-supported growth hub network and the CW Growth Hub Group
